Memoirs of a Geisha Summary and Analysis

FreeBookNotes found 4 sites with book summaries or analysis of Memoirs of a Geisha. If there is a Memoirs of a Geisha SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a link to each study guide below.

Among the summaries and analysis available for Memoirs of a Geisha, there
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Full Book Notes and Study Guides

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Short Book Summaries

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Offers reading group guides containing a brief summary and discussion questions written by the publisher. Most helpful for thinking of essay topics and potential topics for a book discussion. Does not provide detailed analysis.

Teaching Resources

Special resources for teachers looking to plan classroom exercises for Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

Our Summary of Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Published in 1997, Arthur Golden's novel 'Memoirs of a Geisha' is presented in first-person narration. The novel is a fictional story about a geisha who works in Kyoto during World War II. Golden structures the work to include flashbacks, where the main character recalls her experiences working as a geisha and recounts them to the fictional interviewer, New York University professor, Jakob Haarhuis. He becomes the fictional author of the novel. Nitta Sayuri is a retired geisha, although her life began poverty-stricken. Back then she went by the name Sakamoto Chiyo. She grew up in a fishing village near the Sea of Japan; sold into a geisha boarding house at nine, Nitta Sayuri trains in the okiya, which means 'geisha boarding house.' The okiya is run by three women: an elderly woman, a money-obsessed mother (Mother), and a mistress named Auntie. The okiya houses another geisha, Hatsumomo who is very popular and functions as the breadwinner of the narrative. Golden allows his character to observe and experience everyday geisha life, which includes incurring debts, finding her sister who has been sold into prostitution, and becoming a maid. The author continues to weave characters in and out of Chiyo's life, ending with her fully retiring from her work as a geisha. Major themes of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' include metamorphosis, beauty, deception, and destiny.